Capturing the Moment

Sailing to the "Forbidden Island" of Ni'ihau on the SSV Makani Olu Coming into the Forbidden Isle, Ni'ihau   The adventure gets real as we leave the protection of Haleiwa and set sail across the Kauai Channel towards Ka'ula Rock. I was pretty excited for a couple of reasons. This would be the first time I would be in charge of my own watch and the whole tall ship while on deck, the winds and waves were supposed to be strong and big but at our backs, and I had never even heard of our destination.    Ka'ula rock is located 23 miles (37 km) west-southwest of Kawaihoa Point on Ni ʻ ihau, and about 150 nautical miles (280 km) west of Honolulu. The island is actually the very top of a volcanic tuff cone that rests on top of a larger, submerged shield volcano. At its highest point, the island reaches a height of 548 feet (167 m). The ocean has carved large sea cliffs on the sides of the island. There is a large cave on the northwest side of the island ...